Table Talk: Gone Zouking

Café Zouk in Lahore still attracts plenty of customers.

LAHORE:

With a high refresh rate of many of our city’s eateries, it’s fortunately not very rare to find a restaurant that stands the test of time. Several of these venues have become mainstays for diners, while some remain in operation even though inhabitants are left scratching their heads over how they can continue to function. Thankfully, it’s not too surprising that Café Zouk, located on MM Alam Road, still has the ability to attract customers.

There was a time when Café Zouk pandered to the young crowd of Lahore with its blaring music and dim lights. Whatever you thought of the food back then, the pubescent chaps having a good old punch-up outside Zouk always ensured some live entertainment for customers. While some of us avoided the mixed aura of Ultimate Fighting Championship match and an opium den, Café Zouk never disappointed the taste buds. And the same, to some extent, is true today. Strong flavours, huge portions and reasonable prices have ensured that Café Zouk appears high on anyone’s list of dining options.

Admittedly, I visited this place after a long time and was quite pleased to see that the management has inducted new chefs who have been able to restore standards at Zouk. Decked out in what appears to be Murano glass and a less noisy environment, Zouk is the new Zouk. Finally, there’s no need to shout over your food just to be heard and less teeny-boppers are seen as this place transforms itself into a more sober venue for business gatherings, family get-togethers and the like. The menu has also been expanded and offers a vast range of continental and Thai cuisine.

However some things have changed for the worse, such as the Szechuan Soup. There was a time when the spice in the soup would send you into a coughing fit as the first sip would hit your throat. Not anymore though, as the soup is quite insipid and you would be hard-pressed to find any spice in it at all. It’s probably better to go for the Mulligatawny.

The management has made up for these omissions by adding new items to the menus that are certainly worth a try. The new line of burgers is perhaps one of the best you will find in the city. And the most popular dish—the Thai Chicken Cashew Nut remains high on diners’ preferences. You can never go wrong with their double-decker beef steak served with onion jam. Pair it with their Thai Crispy Chicken and Mango Salad and you have a winning meal.

Prepare to be disappointed if you are seeking low sodium options, as these boys really pile it on. One would think that in the modern health conscious era, a restaurant would watch how much sodium they are adding to prepare food. You may also want to avoid this place if you can’t stand passive smoking from the tables where people are lighting up. I complained about this to the management, but they didn’t seem to care about the health effects of dining at Zouk, as long as patrons paid their bills.

From the time when snooty managers would treat you like they were the Prada-wearing Maitre D’ at the Ivy, Rules or the Caprice, service has got much better here. You will often find the owner of Zouk sitting quietly in a booth monitoring the staff. Such attention to detail keeps a restaurant going better than the hype that surrounds it and Zouk is no exception to the rule. It is a solid gastronomic institution and is sure to tickle the taste buds of inhabitants of Lahore for a long time to come.

The writer is a food critic and enthusiast based in Lahore and is also a development planner and lawyer.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2013.            

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